Telegraph and Mail concede on climate change

Newspapers critical of climate change science tell MPs global warming is happening and humans play a role in it

Activists in Stockholm, Sweden, use a giant seesaw to relay IPCC's key finding last year that there was 95% scientific certainty that humans cause climate change. Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images

But both the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail have now told MPs they believe climate change is happening and humans play a role in it.

Editors at the Telegraph told the science and technology committee that "we believe that the climate is changing, that the reason for that change includes human activity, but that human ingenuity and adaptability should not be ignored in favour of economically damaging prescriptions." But they railed at being too frequently confronted with "impenetrable gobbledygook."

The Mail told the MPs that "there are very few serious scientists who deny the climate is changing." But it also said: "The climate is always changing and the vast majority of climate scientists believe there is a significant human impact on it although they disagree about the pace and effects. Climate scientists are unlikely to write papers saying climate change is not happening."

The Mail and Telegraph were among several media titles including the Guardian to give evidence to an inquiry by the committee, 'communicating climate science', although neither were represented in person, sending written submissions instead. The committee's findings are due to be published on Wednesday.

Andrew Miller MP, the committee's chair said: “All of the serious news outlets we spoke to were unanimous in accepting the scientific evidence that human activity is causing climate change. This came as a surprise to us because some papers regularly give a platform to lobby groups or indeed conspiracy theorists – many not even qualified scientists – who pooh-pooh the evidence and attack UK climate scientists."

Politicians also gave evidence to the committee, with climate minister, Greg Barker, attacking the BBC for giving too much prominence to climate sceptics. "I think we need the BBC to look very hard, particularly at whether or not they are getting the balance right. I don't think they are," he told the MPs.

The inquiry's publication follows the second part in the IPCC's fifth assessment, which was published on Monday and warned that climate change was a threat to wildlife, global food stocks, and to human security.